Dear Liza,
Last night was Halloween, and Auntie Bridgett and I spent it in one of our favorite places, the Lone Fir Cemetery. This year’s tour was called Death at Dusk, and ran from 2 PM until sunset at 6. Having the tour in daylight is less spooooky, to be sure, but allows us to NOT set up hundreds of lights, which saves a ton of work.
This year, Bridgett was helping Margaret and Perry sell all the wonderful “Friends of Lone Fir” tee shirts, hoodies, tote bags and maps . The sales generate income for the group to help maintain the cemetery. Bridgett had lots of fun chatting with folks and sold a bunch of things!
I was doing Tour Support, which is basically a backup for the Tour Guides. I walked along with the tour groups, trying to keep guests together and adding bits of trivia as we went. Having immersed myself in Lone Fir history for a few years, I know quite a few dead folks.
My Tour Guide was Anne, giving her first-ever tours. She was understandably nervous, but got through and was able to answer many of the questions folks had. On our second tour, later in the afternoon, Anne was more comfortable and able to include more details in her stories.
Besides meeting and talking to folks who love cemeteries, my favorite part of any tour is seeing Lone Fir at sunset. The setting sun backlights the leaves and makes them glow. The shadows get long and give the whole place a welcoming, comfortable feel.
I hope to be a Tour Guide next year, learning all the stories by heart and sharing them with folks. Maybe by then, you can come visit!
Love,
Grandma Judy
